Page:EB1922 - Volume 31.djvu/679

Rh artillery; 4 regiments of coast artillery; 3 depot-schools for anti- aircraft artillery. The regiments of field artillery have animal transport. Each regiment has 4 groups, one reduced to a cadre. In each regiment 2 groups are armed with the 75-mm. gun, one group has loo-mm. howitzers, and the fourth group has 65-mm. guns carried on mules. Each group has 3 batteries. The regi- ment with guns on motor-cars includes 5 groups of 75-mm. guns. To this regiment is allotted the o"nly group of horse artillery still kept up (2 batteries of 75-mm. guns). The heavy field regiments have guns drawn by motors; each has 4 groups of 3 batteries. Some groups are armed with the 149-111111. howitzer; others with the lO5-mm. gun. The 6 heavy regiments each consist of 4 groups of 3 batteries (one is reduced to its cadre). Guns are drawn by motors, and are of different types, varying from the 149-mm. gun to the 305- mm. howitzer. Coast regiments have the same formation as the heavy regiments. The depot-schools for anti-aircraft service consist of 3 or 4 groups each. A group has 2 batteries on motor vehicles and a position battery.

The Engineer Corps consists of: 10 battalions of sappers (of 3 companies); 10 telegraph battalions (of 3 telegraph companies, one section of photo-electricians and one of pigeon carriers) ; one regiment of miners (of 5 battalions) ; one inland water transport regiment (one lagoon and 3 pontoon companies) ; one railway regiment.

The Air Force consists of aeroplanes, kite-balloons and airships. The aeroplanes are organized into one group of chasing-machines, one of bombing units and one of scouts. Each group has a depot-school, a certain number of squadrons, of aeropprts and stations. There are also a command of Air Force schools having at its dependence various schools, training centres, workshops, etc. ; an aeronautic command in the Venezia Giulia controlling a certain number of squadrons; several depot, supply and training offices.

The Automobile Corps of recent foundation includes 10 auto- mobile parks, each of which has a depot, a school and a number of sections which are charged with transport services generally.

The Royal Carbineers (" Carabinieri Reali ") are military police, carefully selected, originating from the old Piedmontese army and having very good traditions. During the war the " Carabinieri " were formed into a regiment of infantry which distinguished itself on Podgora, and had to be dissolved at an early date owing to its heavy losses. The "Carabinieri" discharged police duty for the mobilized troops and in the war zone. Now they are divided into 21 " legions " (plus one of recruits) and perform police duty chiefly in the country districts. In some of the big towns there are special battalions of " Carabinieri," formed of riflemen and machine-gunners to be employed together in case of riots. The " Carabinieri " are recruited from volunteers, or from levy men, on special service.

The Royal Guards (" Guardia Regia ") for police service constitute a special corps, of a military character, of recent formation and originating from the former police corps. The men enlist under a system similar to that adopted for the " Carabinieri," and discharge police duties in big centres. There are 10 " legions " (plus one of recruits). Like the " Carabinieri " they are divided into battalions and squadrons.

The new recruiting law is based on the principle that all valid men must receive military training and are liable to conscription. The provisions as to physical fitness of the men have been modified considerably so as to reduce the number of those discharged permanently or temporarily as medically unfit. It is calculated that each levy will thus give 250,000 recruits. The majority of these will have to serve eight months, while the rest, consisting chiefly of men who under the old law would have been allotted to the third category, will have to serve three months. In 1921, however, a period of transition was still in existence, and these terms of service were not yet in force. It was expected, however, that men having to serve for eight months would be called up in groups, so that there would always be a certain number of trained men under arms, while those who had to serve for three months would have to be drafted into the infantry.

Men are liable to serve as before from their 2Oth to their 39th year of age; but the distinction between reservists of the permanent army and those of the mobile and Territorial militias has been abolished. All men on unlimited leave form one large reserve, which in due course is detailed according to age, physical fitness, or special qualifications, to the active army, the troops stationed in the country, the industrial factories, etc.

The force on the 1921 estimates for the time when the eight months' service would be adopted was set down at 175,000 men, and the average yearly outlay at 9-80% of the total expenditure of the State. (M. R.)